Kannauj has been the bastion of Samajwadi Party since 1999 Lok Sabha election.

Lucknow: Hitting out at the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government’s encounter policy, Samajwadi Party (SP) president and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav said voters should be aware of a ‘thokidar’, apart from the ‘chowkidar’ (watchman).

Yadav, while campaigning for his wife Dimple Yadav, who is seeking a re-electing from the Kannauj parliamentary constituency, said “You all should be aware of the chowkidar (PM Modi’s key campaign tool in this election). Last time, they came as ‘chaiwala’s and fooled people. However, there is also one ‘thokidar’ who has confused people and police and now, his own party MPs and MLAs are confused. That is why we saw a BJP MP hitting a party MLA with his shoe… ‘Thokidar’ used ‘Gangajal’ to purify the official CM’s residence after I vacated it. Imaging what he must have been doing with others.”

Addressing a public gathering at Chibramau in Kannauj, Dimple said, “We are winning with a huge margin after this historic alliance (with Mayawati-led BSP and Ajit Singh’s RLD). Kannauj has always been a Samajwadi Party bastion and it has been developed during the SP regime. The SP government has done a lot of work in the state, something that no other government could ever do. Those who are preparing my report card must first answer if GST has worked. If jobs were given to the youth.”

Yadav said, “BJP leaders have a PhD degree in spreading hate and dividing people. In fact, they have taken lessons from the British on how to divide and rule. They tried to malign my image by spreading false news through the media that I took away ‘tonti’ (taps) from my official residence while vacating it. Once our government comes to power, we will ensure that the same officers who discovered that I had taken away the taps also discover ‘chillum’ (smoking pipe) from the CM’s residence.”

The former chief minister said as the BJP would not be able to compete with the erstwhile Samajwadi government in terms of developing the state, the saffron camp was not debating on the issue. Instead it was only trying to divert people’s attention, he added.

The SP chief said, “You all have to be aware from the dirty tricks of the BJP as it can go to any extent to be in power.”

Earlier in the day, Yadav addressed public gatherings at a ground opposite the Yogeshwar rice mill in Rasollabad, Kannauj, and Vikash Khand near Nawabganj in Farrukhabad.